Greetings from Chuluota

Thanks for reading this week’s post, Greetings from Chuluota. For the first time since July, we slept in our own bed the past two nights. Truly, there’s no place like home!

For subscribers- if the photos don’t load, click this link- www.spottedtail.com/blog.

When I was in Winthrop, it was a sixty second walk to the beach. I’d been out there every day, casting a jig, hoping for a bass (or something). Our last day there, with by far the worst weather, I gave it one last try. At a spot where water flowed over a bar, I finally got three bass on the jig. Ah, the sweet smell of success.

I found a ball on the beach, pocketing it for Maryann’s pit bull. The dog enjoyed the ball, playing with it for a while, then lying down for a chew. I said to Susan, “Boy, she’s really enjoying that ball,” Then I looked. She wasn’t chewing the ball, she was chewing my Croc shoe. I took it away from her. The shoe is damaged but still wearable. I have it on right now!

Diamond the Dog, who used my shoe as a chew toy.

We drove to East Hampton, Connecticut the next day, staying at the Bevin House B&B, truly our first lodging splurge of the trip. The outside reminded me of the house in the old Addams Family TV show. It was nice inside, built in 1872, lots of antiques and old books.

The Bevin House.

Bill and Heather Embacher came by the next morning to pick us up. Bill and I had hoped to fish- the weather was crap and I’m glad we didn’t go. Instead we went to the Gillette Castle, walking the grounds and enjoying seeing each other. It had been a long time!

Gillette, a stage actor, made Sherlock Holmes famous.

A balcony on the castle.

Gillette enjoyed model trains. His were bigger than most.

Gillette’s train station.

One of the train trestles.

Bill and Heather invited us for dinner. We got to meet their daughter and also see Bill’s shop. Bill carves duck and goose decoys, as well as doing taxidermy on birds. His work is beautiful and he stays busy.

Bill and his work.

From East Hampton to Chuluota is a 21-hour drive. There was a time, long past, when I would have done it all at once. We took three too-long days, getting here just at sunset on Thursday.

Friday was spent emptying the car, cleaning and putting things away, going through correspondence, etc. Today I have to remove the solar panel from the roof of the van and get it ready for kayak carrying. There may be a lot of water around, but I’m hoping I can find a fish or two next week.

That’s the Greetings from Chuluota post. Thanks for reading!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go paddling! Take a walk! Stay active!

John Kumiski
www.johnkumiski.com
www.spottedtail.com
www.spottedtail.com/blog

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2022. All rights are reserved.